1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of lifts, hoists and supports for vehicles, especially automobiles and recreational vehicles.
2. Background of the Art
During transportation, repair and storage of vehicles and equipment, systems have been developed that lift and transport vehicles. These devices and systems must be made of sturdy materials capable of supporting heavy vehicles. These sturdy materials are usually metallic, and to simplify manufacture and design, many elements have exposed square edges. These edges have damaged the vehicles during loading and movement, especially when doors of the vehicles are opened.
These systems can be designed to move vehicles for substantial distances and support the vehicles for substantial periods of time. With multiple people attending to the vehicle, it is often possible for the vehicle to be damaged by contact with exposed edges on posts and supports within the system. Doors in particular are subject to damaging contact when opened repeatedly. Among the systems are both portable, single vehicle and multiple vehicle systems as evidenced below.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,247 (Neland) describes a dual-use automobile-boat storage pallet, having a structural support framework of generally rectangular shape with first and second side members and a plurality of cross-members. The storage pallet includes an apparatus for holding a boat that is width adjustable and height adjustable and includes a plurality of folding bunks that are mounted on and supported by two or more of the cross-members. The storage pallet includes an apparatus for holding a car, which includes a first automobile tread plate and a second automobile tread plate supported by the first and second side members of the structural support framework. The dual-use automobile storage pallet can include an optional pair of forklift tine guides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,636 (Mkrtchyan) describes a multi-level storage facility comprising a plurality of vertically stacked storage chambers, each of a size to accommodate an item to be stored, such as a vehicle. Each chamber contains a platform, and all of the chambers are accessible from a common face of the facility. An elevator is mounted so as to move along the common face of the facility to provide access to any one of the chambers. Each of the chambers and the elevator provide a device for engaging one of the platforms in an upper or a lower position. The platform being movable between positions at any time including when the elevator is in motion. With the elevator aligned with any one of the chambers, the platform in the chamber may be exchanged with one on the elevator. The elevator provides a device for achieving this result, saving the extreme expense of having exchange devices in each and every chamber, or on each platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,985 (Desprez) describes an automobile transportation and storage pallet used in automated storage and retrieval systems. The pallet is provided with steel tire channels connected and supported by a plurality of steel support members. Safety grip strips applied to the tire channels provide tire traction thereon. A corrugated drip pan interposed between the tire channels collects any drippings from the automobile. Tire blocks adjustably mounted to the tire channels secure the tires of the automobile resulting in proper alignment of the automobile with respect to the pallet and preventing movement of the automobile thereon. The tire blocks can be adjusted to conform to any size of tire and wheel base. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,619,620; 5,322,143; 5,116,182; 4,869,634; 3,221,907 and 3,110,466 show additional systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,256,577 (Kritzer) discloses a portable automobile lift includes a plurality of portable lifting columns and a portable power unit. Each lifting column includes a column base, a post extending upwardly from the column base, a lifting carriage moveably mounted on a forward side of the post, and a hydraulic actuator connected to the lifting carriage for movement of the lifting carriage along the post. Each column base comprises a respective base plate connected to a lower end of the respective post. The base plate anchor bolt receiving holes extending therethrough for receiving respective anchor bolts. Each column base further includes a pair of wheels positioned to engage a ground surface rearward of the base plate. The lift also includes a portable power unit for providing hydraulic fluid to the actuators. The power unit is mounted on a cart for easy transportation and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,012 (Baker) provides a lift system that coordinates the raising and lowering of a vehicle relative to a surface by using wireless communications. The lift system includes at least two lift mechanisms each having a post, a carriage, an actuating device and a control device. The carriage is slidably coupled to the post and is adapted to support a portion of the vehicle. The actuating device is coupled with the carriage and is capable of moving the carriage relative to the post. The control device is coupled with the actuating device and is capable of communicating by wireless signals with the other control device. The control devices communicate by wireless signals to coordinate the movement of the carriages relative to the posts to raise or lower the vehicle. Further, a rechargeable battery may provide power to the control device to allow for increased mobility of the lift system.
All references are included herein by reference in their entirety.